Latest Gear Live Videos

SanDisk, maker of everyone’s favorite microSDs, released the Clip a while ago, hoping that people would warm up to playing MP3s off of their specially made music cards instead of going to iTunes. It didn’t exactly revolutionize the digital music industry, but the company is obviously still high on the idea, what with the release of the Sansa Clip +.

The Clip + is supposedly “one of the best sounding MP3 players on the market,” and it features the microSD slot, a one-inch OLED display visible under sunlight, an FM tuner with 40 preset stations, and even a microphone for voice recording. You should be able to get the Sansa Clip + now in 2GB ($39.99), 4GB ($49.99), and 8GB ($69.99) models in red, blue, or black. Amazon is selling them at a 13% discount.

Advertisement

Samsung‘s YP-R1 has been on our gadget radar for some time now, and finally the latest Yepp DAP is ready for release in Europe next month. You have to like the features. A 2.6-inch touchscreeen, DivX compatibility, 8.9 millimeters thin, and something they like to refer to as the TouchWiz interface, which includes a Beat DJ feature which allows the user to “add in their own crackly voice and space-themed sound effects to songs.” It should be available for a price of $180 when it hits Europe, with Russia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan coming soon after.

We were able to spend some quality time with the Zune HD a couple of days ago, and we put together this video walkthrough of the interface on the device. Unfortunately, we weren’t connected to Wi-Fi, so we weren;t able to show web browsing, downloading from the Marketplace, or Social, but this gives you a really good idea of what to expect when you get pick up your Zune HD (available for pre-order now) come September 15th.

Our favorite feature? I’ll probably be using the pinned items on the side quite a bit, especially for the recently synched stuff. Quick access to things like that have been much needed on touch devices. A runner up would have to be the quick scroll in the music browser. Again, it saves you on just quickly swiping a bunch of times, hoping to get to the right spot.

That’s right, Microsoft has finally let the cat out of the bag on all the Zune HD info we’ve been craving, and we’ve got the full scoop for you right here. First and foremost, the Zune HD goes on sale on September 15, and will be available in 16GB and 32GB size capacities. The two units are identical in every way, other than storage capacity, so let’s run down some of those specs.

Built-in HD Radio receiver

720p HD video output through a premium dock (costs extra)

OLED touchscreen: 3-3-inches, 16:9, scratch-resistant glass

Built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi

Web browser

NVIDIA Tegra low-power HD processor

The Onyx Black 16GB Zune HD will sell for $219.99, while the Platinum Silver 32GB model will sell for $290 - compare that to the $299 and $399 prices for the 16GB and 32GB iPod touch, respectively. If you aren’t down with black or platinum, wait until September 15, and you’ll be able to pick from five other colors through the Zune Originals program. We’ve got even more specs for you after the cut, but if you’ve heard all you needed to hear and want to pre-order the device immediately, head on over to Amazon where you can find the 32GB Silver Zune HD, as well as the 16GB Black model.

Sure, the Zune has been the butt of a lot of jokes since its first debut, but in all seriousness, we believe the Zune device is better than the iPod classic, and that the Zune software beats iTunes, hands down. Now, the Zune HD is preparing to make an impact, and it’s nothing to sneeze at. We’ve told you about it before, but to refresh your memory a bit, CNET got to spend a little time with the device that boasts the ability to view rented Zune Marketplace Xbox content, “lightning fast” browser, and OLED screen goodness. Oh, and don’t forget about that whole 720p output for HDTV thing.

Following up on the minimalist MP3 player market, like we’ve done recently with the Archos Clipper, and it would appear that iMuz is coming out with a model of their own with the MX1. It has a 1.5 inch 262K TFT LCD display, five preset EQ sounds, AVI video and photo playback, a voice recorder, e-book reader, and integrated FM radio. They are available in six different colors including mint white, pink white, orange black, red black, lovely pink, and green black. Pricing details have yet to be announced.

Sure, Apple has the iPod shuffle, Creative has the Zen Stone, Sansa has the Clip, and it appears that Archos has entered this mini-MP3 Player market with the Clipper.

There is not much that can be said about this particular MP3 Player except what we have seen before in similar minimalist Portable Media Players (PMPs). That is, a simple downloading of audio files via USB, and minimal buttons for less complications. As usual, the memory is about 2GB, and the price is low at $30.

Creative Japan has announced their latest Zen player. The MX 100/200 is available in either 8 or 16GB. It combines a DAP and MP3 player with a 2.5-inch LCD display screen. At a size of 83.2 x 55 x 11.9mm and a weight of 66g, it is compatible with WMV and DivX video files, and MP3, WMA and AAC audio files. Look for the debut of the Zen MX in May.

iRiver and Speedo have teamed to create the LZR Aquabeat Racer. This ergonomic, rubber MP3 player can hold 2GB of memory and will play about 30 minutes per charge. Not only is the device waterproof, it has a depth limit of about 10 ft. It features basic controls such as play/volume/stop/change track and supports MP3 and WMA files. The Aquabeat is only in Japan for now for ¥12,800 ($145.00.)

This holiday season, consumers have three choices if they are wanting to buy a Microsoft Zune for themselves or a loved one. In this Federated Media Holiday Gadget Guide video post, we take a look at the Holiday 2007 Microsoft Zune lineup in detail. In the video we compare the old-school Zune 30 GB with the new Zune 2 lineup - the Zune 80 and the Zune 8. The Zune 80 is a hard drive based Zune that holds up to 80 GB of content, while the Zune 8 and Zune 4 are the new flash based Zune players, holding 8 GB and 4 GB of media respectively. Check out the video for the full scoop on the complete Zune lineup available this holiday season.